Women’s rights activists express concern over sharp decline in female representation in 13th parliamentary polls

Women’s rights activists on Saturday voiced concern over the decline in female participation in the 13th parliamentary election held on February 12, saying political parties nominated very few women and only a small number were elected through direct contests.

The concern was raised at a programme organised by the International Women’s Day Committee at Manik Mia Avenue in Dhaka.

The event, titled “The 13th National Parliament Election: Women’s Representation in Parliament — Reality and Expectations,” highlighted what organisers described as a worrying drop in both nominations and electoral success for female candidates.

Tamanna Khan Popi, coordinator of the programme and a member of Naripokkho, said women’s participation in direct parliamentary seats had generally increased over the years, with only a few exceptions.

“However, the most recent election saw a noticeable decline in both nominations and victories for women,” she said.

Imamul Hasan, a member of Shakti Foundation, said men must recognise that women deserve equal rights.

“I want all men to understand that women are entitled to their rights. They continue to protest because they face deprivation in many areas. If they were treated equally, there would be no need for such protests,” he said.

According to data presented at the programme, Bangladesh has held 13 parliamentary elections since independence in 1973. Women have entered parliament either through reserved seats nominated by political parties or through direct election from general constituencies.

In earlier elections, the number of women elected directly to parliament had gradually increased. However, in the latest polls, women received only a small share of party nominations and just over eight percent of them won their races, organisers said.

Lila Arifa Khanom, a member of Breaking the Silence, said the election had raised hopes for restoring democratic practices and expanding women’s political participation.

“The Women’s Reform Commission recommended that political parties allocate at least 50 percent of nominations to women, while the women’s movement demanded a minimum of 33 percent,” she said.

“In reality, women received an average of only 3.98 percent of nominations.”

She also noted that Jamaat-e-Islami did not nominate any female candidates in the election.

Women’s rights groups have long demanded that reserved parliamentary seats be filled through direct elections instead of party nominations, but the proposal was not implemented in the latest polls.

Organisers said women make up nearly half of Bangladesh’s population and their representation in parliament should reflect that demographic reality.

They also called for stronger and more meaningful participation of female lawmakers in parliamentary activities and leadership positions, including in standing committees.

Among other demands, they urged capacity-building initiatives for female parliamentarians, political training for women within parties, and stronger measures to address violence against women, including cyberbullying and digital harassment.

The organisations behind the programme included Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF), Karmojibi Nari, Shakti Foundation, ActionAid Bangladesh, Brotee, Breaking the Silence, Gonoshasthaya Kendra, BRAC, Care Bangladesh, Save the Children, BLAST, Disable Child Foundation, Naripokkho and several others.